Day 179: Where's Spot?

As I looked at this story sitting next to the rocking chair in my daughter's room today, I thought, "What a great book.  It's amazing how much my kids continue to love this story.  I mean, really, do lift the flap books ever get old?  No signs of that here yet, anyway.  This should be on my holiday gift guide for sure.  I've written about Where's Spot? already, right?  Surely I have."  But lo and behold, when I checked the blog, I haven't yet featured this fabulous book.  I can't believe it!  So without further ado, let me just say that this is one children's classic that belongs on every baby's bookshelf.  If your children are anything like mine, they will enjoy Where's Spot? from their first few months through their first few years.  Spot has long been a favorite of both of my kids in plain old board book form, but add in the endless fun that is lifting the flaps and we've got a definite winner on our hands.  Its bright, simple illustrations and short text make it appealing to babies, while it's flaps call out to those little ones who are becoming more dextrous.  My little girl is two, and loves reading this book just as much now as she did over a year ago.  I probably couldn't even count the number of times we've read this story, but believe me when I say that opening the wardrobe doors and finding Steve the monkey hiding inside still brings a smile to her face every time.  My son is almost 5 and he still loves reading this book, too... only now it's because he can read it to his little sister all by himself.  So there you have it.  Where's Spot? is just an all-around great book.  I highly recommend the board book version if you can get it.  Ours is really quite sturdy, and even the flaps have held up well after much lifting.  This book makes a great baby or first birthday gift, or could even be a nice stocking stuffer for a little one's first Christmas.  I hope Spot brings as much joy and entertainment to your house as he has to ours!

Day 128: The Night Before Christmas

We have many favorite stories here in our house, but the list of those we read most often changes throughout the year.  All of our winter and Christmas books live together on my son's bookshelf, but once December rolls around, they take their place in a big pile on his bedside table.  One my children's favorites that we read every night at this time of year is Clement Clarke Moore's classic, The Night Before Christmas.   Originally entitled "A Visit from St. Nicholas," Moore's poem was written as a Christmas gift for his wife and six children in 1822.  My son received a lift the flap hardcover board book edition of this poem for his very first Christmas when he was only nine days old, and I have loved reading it to him ever since.  I actually saw our version (shown above) on the bargain bookshelf at Barnes and Noble the other day for only $7.98, in case you're interested.  There are many different versions of this book, some of which are simply gorgeous, but with two eager young ones who love peeking under the flaps, I'm glad we have the one we do.  The board book pages are incredibly sturdy, and we love the advent-style of of the lift the flap feature.   My son particularly loves seeing what is inside some of the presents, and the snowball-making bunnies are pretty cute, as well.  We have read this story so many times that I have the whole thing memorized, and my son loves when I turn out the light and tell it to him again as he is falling asleep.  (And I'll admit, I love curling up next to him and reciting it to him, too.)  "Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.  The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, in hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there..."  I considered waiting to post this story until the actual night before Christmas, but decided to share it now since we actually read it all month long.  This poem has already created so many wonderful memories for me of reading with my children, especially at this magical time of year.  As winter draws nearer, I wish you and your children many cozy evenings spent with a great book!

Day 67: Where Is Baby's Birthday Cake?

My daughter's newest obsession is lift-the-flap books.  She's ten months old now and loves getting into everything!  Opening boxes, emptying bags, taking every book out of the bin… so I'm not surprised that her curious self loves seeing what lies behind the flaps.  Her current favorite is Where is Baby's Birthday Cake? by Karen Katz.  We probably read this book at least 10 times in a row every night before bed, and looking for that birthday cake never gets old.  Katz has many similarly themed titles in her Baby series, but this is the only one we happen to own.  My son received this as a gift on his first birthday and it was an immediate hit.  The colors are bold and bright, but what my kids love most of all is the glittery, sparkly pictures on each page.  Its pages are not quite as thick as some of the other board books we have, but I will say that the book and the flaps have held up surprisingly well after many, many reads.  It might seem a bit silly, but another little thing I like about this book is the fact that the flaps open in different directions. I can almost feel my daughter's brain working as she plays with and explores this book. I just love it when that happens! This is another book that my son enjoys reading to his little sister, which always makes my heart melt a little bit.  If you're looking for a good first birthday gift for a child or are just looking for a fun new book to read with your baby, we definitely recommend this one.